last week in NZ!!
well, i had about a week left.and too much i still want to do.
so i decided to do things fast...
on the 14th i drove from picton to makarora, stopping only to rest and eat.though i already went through all this road, it was really a beautiful way.and since it snowed in the south, part of the way looked really different.
i got to makarora quite late, and being too lazy, i decided to sleep in the car.but at ~3am i had enough, got my mattress and slept just next to the car.at ~5am i had enough of that and went back into the car ;)at ~7am i just got up and started my day...
i went to the visitor center to check about the wilkin-young circuit. I was told that the rivers are high and i should get a water taxi.but they opened at 9, so i waited.when they opened, they told me they have a boat going out there in about 20 minutes.i booked it, and booked a boat back for the next day at 15:30."that's a quick pass through the gilespi. you're aware that you're doing 3-days-walk in 2 days?"i felt no point telling him that the water taxi back, cutting the tramp by ~20 km makes it a 2 days tramp. i just said yes...
they had some delays, and eventually i only started hiking on 10:20.it was my hardest day in NZ.32 km, over the gilespi pass.i got to the hut at around 20:10. almost 10 hours of walking, with very little rest (mainly to take photos).and the climb itself was quite steep.and i didn't have breakfast (i thought i had 20 minutes to get all organized), and didn't have time for a real lunch)but it was beautiful. so beautiful!!snow-capped mountains...and a lot of snow! i even had to cross some snow patches...
getting to the hut i was told that there was a big cancellation, and i can forget about the jet-boat i booked...so the next day, instead of having a nice hike to a nearby lake, i walked out.almost 30 km.including crossing 3 rivers.one of them waist deep.by the way, you only have to cross one river, and even quite a shallow one.but i listened to the advice from the guy at the hut, and so...
but it was a nice day as well, and certainly didn't spoil the first day:)
coming out i drove to queenstown, and camped close by.there was a "severe weather warning" for the next day, so i wasn't sure about my plans.but waking up for a nice day, i spent some time in queenstown and started going up the rees at around 12:20.my plan was to go all the way up the rees, to the "dart hut"i remembered that i checked it out and saw that even if i start at 12, it's gonna be ok.i always walk faster than the doc times...but after about an hour i found out that the doc time was 10 hours.
so i should hurry...
and so i did.
it took me 7 hours and 20 minutes.and the walk was really very beautiful.it reminded me of the greenstone - wide, nice valley - but more dramatic. and the surrounding mountains had snow on them!i had very nice views from the rees saddle as well, mainly down the snowy Ck.
about an hour before the hut i saw 2 mountain deers! first time i saw wild deers in NZ! they are called Shami (that's phonetic... the real spelling is in French, so i don't even try)
i got to the hut a bit tired, but very happy.
the next day started cloudy and rainy, so after breakfast i saw everyone out, and went back to bed with a book.i slept a little, and waking up i saw that the weather is fine.
so i went to the cascade saddle.a-m-a-z-i-n-g !!!it's situated so beautifully! between to snowy peaks, on one hand there's the dart glacier and the dart river and on the other it drops about 1000 m (sheer cliff) to a nice glacier valley.beautiful!!!one of the best lookouts i had in NZ.and of course - it had snow on it...i spent there about half an hour in an ecstasy, and when i was to cold i went back to the hut.on the way back it started raining a bit, but it was still ok when i got to the hut.a couple that came later had snow with harsh winds when they crossed the rees saddle...
the following day i went out through the rees again, this time with a swiss gut named rene, who i took with me to glenorchy.it was nice, hiking with somebody again.and the rees was still just as beautiful.this time i climbed a little further from the rees saddle, and had some nice views up the snowy ck.
next day i drove to the banks peninsula.on the way i had a flat tire, and some nice views of mt cook.the banks peninsula was nice, but i was busy "summarizing" NZ...
i spent the night at some beach there, and hoped for a nice sunrise. but the morning was really foggy, so i left early, and went to amberley.i met with carolyn, and we had a nice evening.
on the 22nd i packed my stuff we said our goodbyes, i brought the car back to the rental company, and flew to hong kong.bye NZ.
I hope to come again.I plan to come again.
such a great country.so much fun!
lesson- there's something more painful for the knees than a steep climbing down. a steep climbing down through snow...
relevant albums...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47f10576
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b478b050c
so i decided to do things fast...
on the 14th i drove from picton to makarora, stopping only to rest and eat.though i already went through all this road, it was really a beautiful way.and since it snowed in the south, part of the way looked really different.
i got to makarora quite late, and being too lazy, i decided to sleep in the car.but at ~3am i had enough, got my mattress and slept just next to the car.at ~5am i had enough of that and went back into the car ;)at ~7am i just got up and started my day...
i went to the visitor center to check about the wilkin-young circuit. I was told that the rivers are high and i should get a water taxi.but they opened at 9, so i waited.when they opened, they told me they have a boat going out there in about 20 minutes.i booked it, and booked a boat back for the next day at 15:30."that's a quick pass through the gilespi. you're aware that you're doing 3-days-walk in 2 days?"i felt no point telling him that the water taxi back, cutting the tramp by ~20 km makes it a 2 days tramp. i just said yes...
they had some delays, and eventually i only started hiking on 10:20.it was my hardest day in NZ.32 km, over the gilespi pass.i got to the hut at around 20:10. almost 10 hours of walking, with very little rest (mainly to take photos).and the climb itself was quite steep.and i didn't have breakfast (i thought i had 20 minutes to get all organized), and didn't have time for a real lunch)but it was beautiful. so beautiful!!snow-capped mountains...and a lot of snow! i even had to cross some snow patches...
getting to the hut i was told that there was a big cancellation, and i can forget about the jet-boat i booked...so the next day, instead of having a nice hike to a nearby lake, i walked out.almost 30 km.including crossing 3 rivers.one of them waist deep.by the way, you only have to cross one river, and even quite a shallow one.but i listened to the advice from the guy at the hut, and so...
but it was a nice day as well, and certainly didn't spoil the first day:)
coming out i drove to queenstown, and camped close by.there was a "severe weather warning" for the next day, so i wasn't sure about my plans.but waking up for a nice day, i spent some time in queenstown and started going up the rees at around 12:20.my plan was to go all the way up the rees, to the "dart hut"i remembered that i checked it out and saw that even if i start at 12, it's gonna be ok.i always walk faster than the doc times...but after about an hour i found out that the doc time was 10 hours.
so i should hurry...
and so i did.
it took me 7 hours and 20 minutes.and the walk was really very beautiful.it reminded me of the greenstone - wide, nice valley - but more dramatic. and the surrounding mountains had snow on them!i had very nice views from the rees saddle as well, mainly down the snowy Ck.
about an hour before the hut i saw 2 mountain deers! first time i saw wild deers in NZ! they are called Shami (that's phonetic... the real spelling is in French, so i don't even try)
i got to the hut a bit tired, but very happy.
the next day started cloudy and rainy, so after breakfast i saw everyone out, and went back to bed with a book.i slept a little, and waking up i saw that the weather is fine.
so i went to the cascade saddle.a-m-a-z-i-n-g !!!it's situated so beautifully! between to snowy peaks, on one hand there's the dart glacier and the dart river and on the other it drops about 1000 m (sheer cliff) to a nice glacier valley.beautiful!!!one of the best lookouts i had in NZ.and of course - it had snow on it...i spent there about half an hour in an ecstasy, and when i was to cold i went back to the hut.on the way back it started raining a bit, but it was still ok when i got to the hut.a couple that came later had snow with harsh winds when they crossed the rees saddle...
the following day i went out through the rees again, this time with a swiss gut named rene, who i took with me to glenorchy.it was nice, hiking with somebody again.and the rees was still just as beautiful.this time i climbed a little further from the rees saddle, and had some nice views up the snowy ck.
next day i drove to the banks peninsula.on the way i had a flat tire, and some nice views of mt cook.the banks peninsula was nice, but i was busy "summarizing" NZ...
i spent the night at some beach there, and hoped for a nice sunrise. but the morning was really foggy, so i left early, and went to amberley.i met with carolyn, and we had a nice evening.
on the 22nd i packed my stuff we said our goodbyes, i brought the car back to the rental company, and flew to hong kong.bye NZ.
I hope to come again.I plan to come again.
such a great country.so much fun!
lesson- there's something more painful for the knees than a steep climbing down. a steep climbing down through snow...
relevant albums...
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b47f10576
http://tomeraroundtheworld.shutterfly.com/action/pictures?a=67b0de21b32b478b050c
posted by הזידנרים at 5:49 PM
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